By: Jenafur Schlangen
November 6, 2025
Chicago, Illinois
Seether’s November 6th stop at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom should have been a straightforward night of heavy, familiar rock but for those of us in the media photo pit, it started on the wrong foot and never quite recovered. The entire first song was essentially a wash visually, with extreme white lights aimed straight into the pit for its full duration. Given that we’re only allowed to shoot the first three songs, sacrificing one-third of that already brief window to blinding flood beams felt less like a creative choice and more like an oversight that undercut the people there to help document the show. Instead of easing into the energy of the set, the experience began with frustration, squinting, and missed frames, setting a tone that lingered long after the lights finally shifted.
Once the lighting mellowed and the initial irritation wore off, the rest of the performance fell into familiar Seether territory, tight, competent, and exactly what longtime fans would expect, but rarely surprising. The band delivered their catalog with the usual mix of brooding melodies and crunching riffs, and the crowd that did show up seemed appreciative, but the room itself told another story; for a band of Seether’s stature, the Aragon felt noticeably, and somewhat awkwardly, under-filled. That visual of empty pockets on the floor, combined with the rocky start for photographers, made the night feel more routine than remarkable. In the end, it wasn’t a bad show by any means, but between the washed-out first song and an underwhelming atmosphere, it was hard to walk away feeling inspired.
